Efficacy of Chromafenozide Insecticide to Control Tirathaba rufivena and Its Impacts on Oil Palm Pollinator E. kamerunicus

Abstract

Newly marketed insecticide known with active ingredient Chromafenozide claimed to be potent against various lepidopterous insects, but at the same time almost non-toxic to non-lepidopterous species, including pollinators, predators and parasitoids. This trial aim to evaluate the effectiveness of Chromafenozide insecticides to control population of Tirathaba rufivena in oil palm planted on peat soil and its impact on pollinator weevil, Elaedobius kamerunicus. The trial was divided into two parts which are field assessment of insecticides efficacy and laboratory assay to know the direct effect of insecticide application on E. kamerunicus. Besides Chromafenozide, insecticides used in this trial Cypermethrin and Bacillus thuringiensis var kurstaky as comparison. The results of efficacy test showed that Tirathaba infestation decreased significantly in the Cypermethrin, B. thuringiensis, and Chromafenozide treatments compared to control. However, among these treatments did not show a significant difference. Nevertheless, each of the tested insecticide caused significantly mortality to E. kamerunicus. E. kamerunicus mortality rate of each insecticide treatment showed that Chromafenozide was less detrimental as compared Cypermethrin, but significantly detrimental to B. thuringiensis. B. thuringiensis was not significantly different compared to control.